1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to systems used to complete subsurface wells, and particularly to systems designed to reduce the number of trips required in and out of the well to complete the well.
2. Related Art
Oil and gas wells are very expensive to drill and complete. A major cost factor is the expense of having a rig at the well site. Significant savings can be realized if the time a rig is needed is minimized.
One way to minimize rig expense is to provide a system that combines various completion operations. Once such a system is placed in the well, the rig can be removed and alternative, cheaper means can be used to operate the completion system. For example, a tubing conveyed perforating assembly may be used in combination with a sand control assembly, or a sand control assembly may be run in with production tubing. Combining originally separate systems reduces the number of required runs.
However, existing combinations still require more than one trip to achieve commonly desired completion objectives. Also, one or more capabilities may be compromised in existing tools. The present invention addresses those issues.